Beyond Black Friday

Jazim Lopez, left, of Connecticut, and Jesus Lopez, of Fitchburg, were out shopping at Walmart in Lunenburg on Friday for gifts.
SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / JOHN LOVE

Maybe you missed Black Friday because you were traveling. Or maybe you avoided it, not wanting to spend your early-morning hours waiting in the cold with others to rush into a store that might have quickly run out of what you want.

Or maybe you were waiting to spend your money locally today -- Small Business Saturday -- or to shop from the comfort of your home on Cyber Monday.

Whichever, there are still plenty of opportunities this holiday shopping season to catch some great deals and get the best bang for your buck.

Although stores tend to have some of their best deals on Black Friday, many can still be found afterward, according Edgar Dworsky, a Somerville-based consumer advocate, founder of ConsumerWorld.org and a former Massachusetts assistant attorney general in Consumer Protection.

He said Sunday newspaper circulars are a prime source for knowing the sales going on in a given week, but he also recommends that shoppers go to their favorite stores' websites to sign up for newsletters and bargain alerts. Often, Dworsky said, the people who receive these emails will get deals and coupons send to them that otherwise are not advertised.

He also recommends seeking out online "hot deals" forums at sites such as slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com, where bargain hunters will often share their good finds, as well as websites that specialize in bargains, such as

When purchasing items online, look out for opportunities for coupons and promotional codes, he said.

"When I buy something online, and put it in my basket, I often see a field for a code," Dworsky said. "That signals the store issues additional deals -- but you have to go find them."

He recommends searching for the phrase on the box -- coupon code, promotional code, whatever it might be -- and a number of listings will come up. One of the largest and most reliable sites for finding these codes is retailmenot.com, Dworsky said, and there's little danger associated with using websites like this.

"The worst that can happen on a coupon site is you're going to have a coupon that's expired. It happens all the time -- coupon expired, coupon unrecognized," he said. "There's really no loss to the consumer other than time and that you got your hopes up a bit higher than they should be."

Just because something is advertised at a low price, doesn't mean it's the best offer for your money, Dworsky said.

"Getting a low price on a lousy product is no bargain," he said.

Dworsky recommends reading consumer reviews of items on store and shopping websites before making any purchases to see what experiences real owners have had.

He also recommends comparison shopping, and using sites like his own dealalerter.com, which works in partnership with PriceGrabber.com, checking prices daily and sending notifications to users when prices drop.

On websites like Amazon.com, Dworsky said if you see a good price, it's best to "strike while the iron is hot." Amazon, he said, uses what is called dynamic pricing -- meaning that when a low-priced item suddenly starts to sell quickly, its price will likely be raised, and without warning.

"The purchase price for a particular item doesn't end when you buy it," Dworsky said. "I like to continue to follow it to see if the price goes down. Many stores have a price guarantee for a certain number of days. If the price goes down, you can bring your receipt back and get the difference."

Some credit cards, Dworsky said, also have a price-guarantee benefit -- meaning if the store won't credit you the difference, the card company will. Some Citi cards, for example, he said, will even allow you to enter an item on a website, citipricerewind.com, and it will track prices for you.

"When making a purchase, think carefully about which credit card is best to use," Dworsky said.

While one card may offer you more points, he said, another may offer an extended warranty on an item, which can be particularly helpful when purchasing major appliances and save you money on service contracts. Dworsky said almost every platinum or gold Visa, Master Card or American Express card has some sort of warranty-protection program. Each program has its nuances, however, he said, and some may only give that extra year warranty if the original manufacturer's warranty is a year or less. Dworsky recommended checking with your card issuer to find out its specific options.

American Express in particular offers a great deal of promotions, so it's a good idea to create and use an online account if you don't already, for this and other types of cards, he said. He gave the example of a friend who purchased a TV at Best Buy and was able to take advantage of a $25-off-$250 offer through American Express.

Department stores also offer promotions with their cards, Dworsky said. He was able to get 5 percent back on his purchase of glasses with his Sears card.

Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, said smartphone shopping apps and social media are also great avenues of finding deals at your favorite stores.

"It's just doing your homework and being prepared before you get to the store," Hurst said. "There's a multitude of options out there to buy what you're looking for."

Some apps will allow you to scan items in the store and find prices at a number of locations, he said, both online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores.

"We don't really urge people to do that, because frankly, we like folks to buy local from local employers (rather) than going online," Hurst said. "Sometimes the lowest price isn't always the best thing for keeping our Main Streets vibrant."

He said a goal of his industry is to extend Small Business Saturday throughout the year, to benefit local economies. Hurst urged consumers to check local businesses for gift-giving options.

"These are long-standing businesses that are in our downtowns, paying property taxes, and keeping storefronts from going dark," he said.

Dworsky said a number of stores, including smaller businesses, will often offer deals in which spending a certain amount of money will earn you a gift card. Purchasing gift cards for other stores at places like RiteAid can also earn you savings there, he said.

"Don't forget basic consumer smarts," Dworsky said. "Check the return policy of the store to make sure the item is returnable. Ask for a gift receipt if you're giving it as a gift, and put in the box. Leaving it in your wallet is not going to help anybody."

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.